Cabling cost and quality benefits

“We very much see ourselves as craftspeople – a lot of what we do, particularly some of the more complex stuff, still needs to be done by hand in spite of automation.

“These are skills that can take years to learn and it’s a value we offer our customers. The Komax has only added to that value –it is at peak performance all the time which obviously a human cannot maintain.

“It also consistently turns out a perfect piece of work which is invaluable for quality control, detecting and then preventing even the minutest imperfection in a crimp or cut to reach the final batch for delivery – meaning the batch is perfect every time.”

Nicab has enjoyed significant growth in the past 24 months having achieved an annual turnover of more than £2.6 million for the first time. It now also employs 22 full-time staff compared to 18, 12 months ago.

It also holds a prestigious UL (Underwriters Laboratory) Accreditation – a globally recognised standard in wiring harness assembly. 8 nicab.co.uk

Francis Brown Engineering has established a dedicated pressure vessel division to reflect the growing demand for its specialist fabrication capabilities.

The independent Stockton-onTees company, which this year marks its 120th anniversary, has seen an increase in orders for its bespoke pressure vessels across multiple sectors, ranging from chemicals, oil & gas to hydrogen storage applications.

It recently delivered a vertical column pressure vessel for a major client in the global oil and gas industry, which measured 20 metres in length and weighing over 15 tonnes when fitted out with internal trays and external ladders and platforms.

Designed to contain a volatile liquid solution, which is both flammable and corrosive, it took more than 2,370 hours to complete.

Engineered from 304L stainless steel, the pressure vessel was fitted with a carbon steel skirt and insulated and clad in stainless steel. It was manufactured to PD5500:2018, the UK’s standard unfired pressure vessels code, which specifies requirements for the design, construction, inspection, and testing, and can operate at a temperature range between 260c and minus 15c.

Family-owned Francis Brown Engineering has a strong heritage of delivering projects in the chemical, process, and construction sectors and in the last 4 decades has built up an